Cotton-chopper.



PATENTED MAR. 19, 1907.

R. T. STERLING. COTTON CHOPPER.-

APPLIOATION FILED MAY 7, 1 906.

WITNESSES:

I Q I, ATTORNEYS m umams PETERS cm, was! v RUFUS TAYLOR STERLING, OF

HALF TO ALONZO J. SWEARINGEN,

UNITE STATES PATENT EETQE.

SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- OF SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS.

COTTON-CHOPPER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 19, 1907.

Application filed May 7,1906. Serial No. 315,594.

cotton-choppers and similar implements, and

has for its object to improve and simphfy the construction and increasethe efficiency of devices of this character.

With this and other objects in view, which will appear as the nature ofthe invention is better understood, the invention consists in certainnovel features of construction, as hereafter fully described andclaimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, andin which corresponding parts are denoted by like designating characters,is illustrated the preferred form of the embodiment of the inventioncapable of carrying the same into practical operation.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of the improved device. Fig. 2is a front elevation, partly in section. Fig. 3 is a section, enlarged,of one of the spacer-arms on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is asection, enlarged, of one of the spacer-arms on the line 4 4 of Fig. 2.

The improved device comprises a baseframe 10 of any suitable size and ofany suitable material and having a drive shaft or axle 11 'journaledthereon and extending at one end laterally of the frame and carrying aground-wheel 9, the ground-wheel fast to the shaft or axle, so as totransmit the motion of the ground-wheel to the axle when the machine isdrawn forward.

The ground-wheel 9 is preferably provided with the usual ground-engagingribs 12, employed upon machines of this character to prevent slipping,and the frame 10 is also provided with a draft-clevis 13 and acarrierwheel 14 to support the forward end of the frame, thecarrier-wheel being supported from the frame 10 by hangers 15. The frame10 is also provided with guiding-handles 16. Extending from the frame 10at one side are spaced arms 17 18, having a shaft 19 journaled thereinparallel to the frame 10 and spaced therefrom, the shaft 19 having abevelgear 20, engaging a bevel-gear 21 on the axle or shaft 11, wherebythe motion of the latter is communicated to the parallel shaft 19. Theshaft 19 isprovided with a bearing 22 for supporting the outer end ofthe axle-shaft 12, the bearing being thus utilized to hold the twoshafts and the bevel-gears in proper relative position.

Rigidly mounted upon the shaft 19 is a drum 23, and connected at 24 25to the rim of this drum are two spacer-arms, each formed of a bar ofresilient material, preferably steel, and extending from theattachingpoints 24 25 in curved lines for a portion of the lengthslightly eccentric to the drum, as at 52 53, and thence in relativelylarge reversed curves, as at 28 29, and thence in still larger curvesand slightly eccentric to the drum and shaft, as at 26 27, and graduallyapproaching nearer the same toward the terminals of the bars at 30 31.The curved portions 26 27 of the spacer-arms are presented flatwisetothe ground, while the shorter curved portions 28 29 are twisted tobring the surfaces of the arms at an angle to the ground and at an angleto the flatwise portions, the angle being preferably about fortyfivedegrees. The forward edges of the spacer-arms are knife-edged to presenta cutting edge forwardly, as hereafter explained.

The construction of the flatwise portions of the spacer-arm isillustrated in Fig. 3, which is a transverse section of the spacerarm onthe line 3 3 of Fig. 2, while the construction of the inclined portionsof the spacer-arms is illustrated in Fig. 4, which represents atransverse section on the line 4 4 of Fig. 2. Bythis arrangement whenthe machine is drawn forward and the drum 23 rotated through itsconnection with the groundwheel 9 the spacer-arms in revolving with thedrum will first alternately engage the groundby their inclined eccentricportions 28 29 and cut out any growth with which they may come incontact, while the concentric portions 30 31, continuing the movement,will operate upon the growth above ground, and thus remove portions ofthe rows of plants at predetermined intervals. The spacer members areconnected at their inner ends only to the drum 23, preferably by asingle rivet, and the drum is provided with adjusting-screws 3435,bearing against the inner surfaces of the spacer-arms, and thusoperating to force the latter outwardly or to permit them to bear closerto the drum, and thus regulate the distances between the projectingportions 32 33 and the shaft 19 to correspondingly regulate the depth towhich the spacer-arms will enter the soil when in operation. The depthof cut may thus be controlled as required. The comparatively shorterportions 28 29 of the spacer members are somewhat more rigid or lessyielding than the remainder of the spacer-arms, and thus resist thepressure exerted against them when coming in contact with the soil, andthus materially increase the efficiency of the operation. The framemember 18 is extended outwardly from the frame 10 and provided with aclip 86, in which a vertical tubular standard 37' is supported,thestandard having transverse slots 38, through which an axle 39extends, the axle having a groundwheel 40 upon its outer end and pivotedat 41',its inner end, in a bearing 42, connected to the frame member 18,the-axle 39 being bent at 44 to bring the bearing 41 nearer the frame18. Disposed within the tubular standard 37'is a spring 45, bearing atone end upon the axle 39 and bearing at the upper end against atransverse pin 46,the force of the spring being thus uti ized to holdthe axle 39 yieldablyi'n position. By this means as the machine is drawnforward the ground-wheel 40 supports the machine at one side and yieldssufliciently to prevent undue rigidity. In addition to providing aflexible element for the frame of the implement the wheel 40 and itsattachments operate as a shock-absorber and prevent the spacer-arms frombeing subjected to jarring incidental to passing over rough ground.Furthermore, the coilspring 45 maintains the axle 39 at such positionwith relation to the remainder of the frame of. the implement thatshould the wheel 40 enter a depression in the ground the outer end ofthe axle 39 will fall; but the spring 45 will have a tendency tomaintain the outer end of the frame 18 in an elevated position.Conquently the spacer-arms will not enter too deep in the ground andpass below the roots of the lant. By reason of the fact that the said weel 40 and axle 29 are so mounted they preserve the shape and extend theusefulness of the said spacer-arms. By employing two of the spacer armsupon the drum 23 and by properly proportioning the sizes of the gears 2021-relative to the groundwheel 9 the plants will be "chopped out at therequisite intervals. A receptacle for a weight 51 is arranged upon theframe 10 at theside opposite from the spacer mechanism to serve as acounterbalance and assist in maintaining the device in position and prevent undue strain upon the portion of the frame carrying the spacermembers. The

frame member 18 is preferably supported from the frame 10 by a brace 48,and the frame member 17 is likewise preferably supported from the frame10 by a. brace 49..

The device is simple in construction, can be inexpensively manufactured,and may be employed for thinning plants of various kinds which areplanted in rowssuch as 1. In a cotton-chopper, spacer members.

formed of arms of resi ent material andwitlicutting edges and mountedforrotationwith the outer portions curved concentrically to the sourceof movement and" thence curved; eccentrically to the source of movementand with increasingrad'ii and thence curving;in-- wardly and attached tothe sourcev of movement.

2. In a cotton-chopper, spacer members formed of arms ofresili'entmaterialand withcutting edges and mounted for rotation with the outerportions curved concentrically to the source of'movement and thencecurved eccentrically to the source of movement and? with increasingradii and thence curving in.- wardly and attached to the sourceofmovement, said inwardly-curving portion being twisted to cause thecutting edges thereof to operate at an angle to the remainder of the armand to offer increased resistance to the strains.

3. In a cottonchopper, a supportingframe, an axle and ground-wheelmounted for rotation upon said frame, adrum mounted for rotationuponsaid frame, means for transmitting the motion of said axle to-said drum,spacer members formed of arms of resilient material and with cutting edes with outer portions curved concentricaly of'said drum and thencecurved eccentrically of said drum and with increasing radii and thencecurved inwardly and attached to said drum. n

4. In a cotton-chopper, a supportingframe, an axle and ground-wheelmountedfor rotation upon said frame, a drum mounted for rotation uponsaidframe, meansfor transmit-ting the, motion of-"said= ax-le to'saiddrum, spacer members formed of'ar-msofresilient' material and withcutting edges with the outer portions curved concentrically of said drumand thence curved eccentrically of said drum and with increasing radiiand thence curved inwardly toward? said: drum and with theterminal-reversely' curved and connected to saiddrum;

5. In a. cotton-chopper, a supportingframe, an axle and ground-wheelmounted for rotation upon said frame, a drum mounted for rotation uponsaid frame, means for transmitting the motion of said axle to said drum,spacer members formed of arms of resilient material and with cuttingedges with the outer portions curved concentrically of said drum andthence curved eccentrioally of said drum and with increasing radii andthence curved inwardly toward said drum with the terminal reverselycurved and connected to said drum and adjusting means between said drumsand arms.

6. In a cottonchopper a supportingframe, an axle and ground-wheelmounted for rotation upon said frame, a drum mounted for rotation uponsaid frame, means for transmitting the motion of said axle to said drum,spacer members formed of arms of resilient material and with cuttingedges and connected at the inner ends to said drum and curving outwardlytherefrom for intermittent en agement with the earth as the drum l isrotated, and adjusting-screws operating 1 in said drum and bearingagainst said spacers.

7. In a cotton-chopper a supporting frame, a main axle and ground-wheelmounted for rotation upon said'frame at one side and retained againstvertical movement with relation to the frame spacers formed of curvedarms of yielding material and carried by said frame, means fortransmitting the motion of said main axle to said spacers, asupplemental axle swinging at the inner en from said frame, aground-wheel upon the free end of said supplemental axle and adapted toengage the ground in advance of said spacers and yieldable means forsupporting the movable end of said supplemental axle.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

RUFUS TAYLOR STERLING.

Witnesses:

M. COPPARD, R. M. TARLTON.

